Summer Rain
by NaomiGnome
Summary: Not all conflicts are easily resolved, and deep in the heart of Rileytown, she knew that it was far from over. The gang is in high school now, and things could only escalate from there. Follow-up to Girl Meets Rileytown.
1. Prologue

It should've been an average Wednesday. She should have gotten out of her last class, one that she shared with no one, headed for the center of the high school campus (home of the "hole"), met up with her favorite people in the world, and went to Topanga's. But yet, here she was, thinking about how what would've been an average Wednesday turned into a nightmare.

 _"You exist. You exist, and you're weird, and you get in the way of where I'm looking, so stop being weird and stop being happy. Nobody should be as happy as you. Stop being who you are or I'm going to put my foot in your weird, stupid face."_

Riley could feel the dread rise to the top of her throat. She tried to recall in her memories what Maya had said of her middle school bully.

 _"Look Riles, the farther she goes, the smaller she gets."_

However, the bully had gone one step farther than what her title behavior suggested and followed through on her threat. She stepped hard into Riley's face. They were alone now, and she was no longer a small retreating figure.

Riley could taste the dirt of her bully's shoe mixed in with the taste of metal. Riley realized with a dull buzz of pain that it was her own blood, filling her mouth. Riley shut her eyes, only grunting weakly as the bully delivered a few swift kicks to her ribs. Suddenly, she felt an offending hand yank her hair and head up off the ground.

A thick, too-warm breath hovered by her ear, "And don't even think about letting you little friends know about this, as far as we know you tripped down the stairs like your usual klutzy-self."

Riley trembled in agreement, and to her utter relief the bully left. Riley crumpled into a ball and sobbed herself into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 1

It took everything Maya had not to shove this stupid nurse into the wall. She gritted her teeth impatiently while Zay, who was arguably the most calm of the group, conversed with the aid nurse about getting into the hospital room to see Riley.

"I'm sorry," the nurse repeated exasperated, "But it is family _only._ I cannot let you in here."

" _WE ARE FAMILY."_ Maya practically shouted.

The nurse stared at their group pointedly. The angry blonde was beginning to look hysterical, and while the rest appeared calmer, the nurse noted they were visibly shaken.

She started again in a more sympathetic manner, "Look, I know that your friend is very important to you. But I need to do my job and follow the rules. You can't be permitted into the room unless you're family. _"_ Maya opened her mouth again in protest before the nurse cut her off, " _Biological family."_

 _"_ Well is there anything we can do?" Lucas stepped forward, his voice painfully tight, "We can't just stand here and wait. We need to see her."

The nurse sighed and rubbed her forehead tiredly, "Look, if her main guardians allow you guys on the visitors list, we'll be able to let you in. But until then, you need to wait."

The group resigned reluctantly, dragging their feet back to the suspense of the public waiting room chairs.

Farkle slumped his head onto Smackle's shoulder for support. She gingerly brushed his hair with her fingers, and closed her eyes. There were things she didn't understand right away, but she could feel an instinctual spike of unsettling discomfort in her stomach. She opened her eyes, and observed her friends.

Her dearest was tired. She noted that she must also look tired, unused to so much emotional trauma. Her eyes combed over Zay, who's usual relaxed demeanor was replaced with stiff shoulders and eyebrows knit in worry. Clutching unceremoniously to the sleeve of his flannel shirt, was Maya, who could barely sit in the waiting room chair. Her blue eyes stared anxiously in the direction of what Smackle could assume was Riley's hospital room. Lucas sat a seat apart, both hands gripping the arms of his chair. Everything about him was uneasy, and his enigmatic expression was betrayed by stormy eyes and distinct tightness in his jaw.

They collectively lifted their heads when they heard the slight whoosh of the hospital's automatic doors opening, only to find Josh Matthews rushing in towards the nurse.

"I'm here to see Riley Matthews," he huffed out.

The nurse shook her head exasperatedly, "Look, I will tell the same thing I told your friends. _Family only_."

"He is family!" Maya had come up from behind frantically, "She's his uncle!"

The nurse stared at the pair skeptically. The young man couldn't have been much older than the blonde and that kind of age difference between an "uncle and niece" seemed unlikely, "Uh huh. Do you have valid ID to prove it, sir?"

Josh pulled out his wallet hurriedly, and handed the nurse his ID. 'Josh Matthews' the nurse read, it appeared that they could be related. She sighed inwardly, trying to recall the policy for non-immediate family in this long, long night. Fortunately, there was no need.

"Josh!" Cory emerged from the hall that lead to the hospital room.

He started when he saw Maya, and his tired eyes could barely register the rest of the room when Maya cut in, "Please let them let us see her. _Please._ "

'Us', she had said, Cory looked around the room and saw Lucas, Farkle, Smackle, and Zay now all standing anxiously in anticipation. He turned quietly to the nurse, "They're all family. It would really help Riley to see these people."

The nurse shrugged, "That's fine, sir, we just need you to sign their names on the 'Allowed Visitation' list."

Cory nodded and before he could even lift a pen Maya cried out, "Okay, so can we go now?"

The nurse nodded, "You can go while he's signing your names. Her room is 15A."

The group collectively rushed through the door and headed down the hall. Cory methodically continued to sign their names, as Josh watched his brother with increasing worry. When it was finished, the Matthews brothers also stepped through the door, albeit more slowly.

"What happened?" Josh finally said, as they made their way down the hall.

Cory, as tired as he ever saw him, replied, "Some senior students found her unconscious after school ended. Apparently, they new her from the first day of school, so they came to get me. And here we are."

"Okay," Josh continued, "But that still doesn't explain to me _what happened_."

"When Riley came to, she said she slipped at the top of the stairs." Cory turned to his brother, with a pained expression on his face, "But the doctors just told me that her fractured ribs are more consistent with being kicked."

" _What?_ "

They came up on room 15A. Cory turned the knob slowly and turned to his brother again, "Don't let anyone I told you, only Topanga knows right now. It would kill the kids, and worse, it would give the kids someone to kill."


End file.
